Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Pretzel Crust

This was recently posted on the Tasty Kitchen Blog. I love cookie dough! I can eat it by the spoonful. These are yummy! Give them a try.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with pretzel crust:

Cookie dough:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 bag (11 oz) milk chocolate chips

Crust:

3 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13 x 9 pan with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until just blended.

Combine flour, soda and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

For the crust, combine pretzels and butter. Spread mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes.

Here's the hard part: Drop large spoonfuls of cookie dough over pretzel crust. Using clean fingers, carefully spread the batter over the crust.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove when the bars are golden brown. When bars are cooled, remove from pan and cut.

Source: Tasty Kitchen Blog

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

The minute I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I have grown up with my mom making Butter Bars and these are just a chocolate version. I am a sucker for chocolate.

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

1 18.25 ounce package chocolate cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup butter

1 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 16 oz box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped cream, for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam.

2. In large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Stir until well blended. Pat the mixture into the pan and set it aside.

3. In stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs and the cocoa powder and beat until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Beat until well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter and the vanilla. Beat until smooth. Using rubber spatula spread the filling over the batter in the pan.

4. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it. The center should still be a little gooey. Let cool completely before cutting. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Source: Paula Deen for Food Network Magazine

Blue Ribbon Brownies from Southern Plate

Because of all the football games on this weekend, I decided to bake some treats. Oh who am I kidding, I had a huge chocolate craving. These were posted on Southern Plate. I love the crust that forms on the top of the brownies. I did not add the nuts. Worth the effort.

Blue Ribbon Brownies

1 cup shortening

4 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

(1 cup nuts)

Melt shortening and chocolate together. Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and blend. Add flour mixture, vanilla and nuts. Bake in greased 9x13x2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick.

Source: Southern Plate

Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

This recipe came from Southern Plate. It was originally posted as M&M Oatmeal Bars. This fall it was posted with a "fall" twist. Butterscotch and cinnamon. They are yummy and use baking mix so they are super fast to make.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 egg

1 stick butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine everything but chips in a bowl. Stir in chips and spread into greased 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Source: Southern Plate

Oat Bars

When I was pregnant with my son, I was addicted to these. I kept telling myself they are healthy, they have All Bran in them. Well they also have a ton of butter and sugar, not to mention peanut butter and chocolate chips. Give them a try.

Oat Bars

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup All Bran

3 1/2 cups Quick Cook Oats

1 cup peanuts

12 oz chocolate chips

Beat eggs, add sugars and peanut butter & butter and mix until well blended. Mix in baking soda and vanilla. Add All Bran and Oats and mix until combined. Add peanuts and chocolate chips. Pour in pan ( i use metal 15/9) and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Middle will still be slightly jiggly.

Let them cool completely before cutting.

Source: my mother in law : Eleanor

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Yummy!

These have been on several food blogs lately and i had to try them... Be sure to let them cool completely before cutting....

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

6 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease an 8x8 pan. * i doubled the recipe and used a 13x9 pan.

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In bowl of mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on medium until smooth. Beat in sugars until mixture is lightened in color and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition and then add vanilla. Reduce mixer to low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips, stirring until combined.

Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If you doubled you might need extra baking time.

Key Lime Bars

One of my favorite desserts is Key Lime Pie. I knew I had to try this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I love that website and magazine because they are very detailed and there is no question about how to make something. They have lots of illustrations of steps that might be confusing.

Key Lime Bars

Crust

5 ounces animal crackers

3 TBSP packed brown sugar

pinch table salt

4 TBSP unsalted butter - melted and cooled

Filling

2 ounces cream cheese - room temp

1 TBSP grated lime zest, minced

pinch table salt

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

Garish (optional)

3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden and crisp

1. Adjust oven rack to middle postion and heat oven to 325. Create foil sling for 8x8 pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.

2. Make Crust: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses. Process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds. Add brown sugar and salt, prcess to combine, ten to twelve 1 second pulses. Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown. 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn oven off.

3. Make the Filling: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy and thoroughly combined. Add Sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. Assemble and Bake: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides. 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

5. Serve: Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into squares or triangle. Sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired.

Babe Ruth Bars

An old favorite. Taking it to dinner with friends tonight!

Babe Ruth Bars

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

4 c. Rice Krispies cereal

6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

6 oz butterscotch chips

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a full boil; remover immediately from heat. Mix in peanut butter and cereal. Press into buttered 13x9 pan. Melt chips and spread over as icing. Cool and cut into squares.